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MADRID, March 2 (Reuters) - Holders Spain have lodged a formal complaint over the quality of the indoor carpet playing surface due to be used for this week's Davis Cup first round tie against Slovakia.

"Our players say they have never played on a surface like this and the regulations state it should have been used at at least three other ATP tournaments," team coach Juan Avendano told sports daily Marca.

There are only five other tournament sites with an indoor carpet surface -- Basil, Lyon, Milan, Moscow and St Petersburg -- and the Spanish players have complained about the quality of the bounce on the Bratislava court.

"The surface appears different from all the others," added Avedano. "The players say that serves were impossible to return in training. No two balls bounce the same."

International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament official Soren Frimmel will make a decision about the surface on Thursday and could insist it is relaid